Saturday, September 11, 2010

Antiques.... What's Lovelier Than Perfume Bottles?

Before I show you some of my treasured favorites, I have an announcement to make:

I have decided to change my blog a bit.

When I first decided to delve into the world of blogging, I chose this name because I felt it described what I was planning to blog about.

Well... I am afraid I got so wrapped up in the card making/ stamping part that I really neglected the other "little somethings" that I originally wanted to share with you. Not only did I honestly get side tracked, but I think I was afraid that no one would really care to see the little somethings I love to surround myself with and make part of my life.

Well... I am re-thinking things now. After spending many hours blog hopping myself, I have come to find there are so many amazingly awesome blogs (with many, many dedicated followers) that are just filled with the very kinds of things I had in mind to share with you here!

There are many other people out there that love the same kinds of somethings that I love!

So... starting today, I will be adding posts about my little somethings. I hope you will enjoy them, and I also hope this will inspire you to share some of your little somethings as well!

These are some of my favorite old antique/ vintage perfume bottles.

The first one I ever owned is the crystal one with the silver band around the neck. It belonged to my grandmother, and my mother told me it had been my great grandmother's before that. It was kept in the guest room that I usually slept in when I visited my grandmother. (When my brother and I would spend the night there together, I slept in a different room that had twin beds so we could be together.) Anyway, I loved that room. It was a fairy tale kind of room to me. It was beautifully decorated and in it was an antique 4 poster bed that my grandmother was born in in 1892. And a lovely dresser across from it. And a sweet little boudoir chair. But my favorite was the dressing table! It had a sweet dotted swiss skirt. On it was a mirrored top and a 3-paneled standing mirror. On the table she kept a pretty silver hair pin box, a very small dainty flowered porcelain vase, and this crystal perfume bottle. I used to sit at that table for hours! I'd go into the closet and take out her beautiful pale salmon colored satin high heels that each had a big satin rose on them and sit at that table and pretend I was a princess. I would take the stopper out of the bottle and hold it to the light to look through it to see the prism effects. I would dream that I was beautiful... like a princess. I have so many memories of being there. And, after my dear grandmother passed, every item I mentioned (except the shoes, lol) was brought to my childhood home and put in my bedroom. And now all of these things are here with me in my home. My youngest daughter sleeps in the four poster bed, but all the other items are in my bedroom. I love having these things that hold so many wonderful, cherished memories of times spent at my grandmother's house. Oh, how I adored that woman!

Here is a close up of another special bottle. This one caught my eye a few years ago while my husband and I were at one of our favorite antique stores. I fell in love with this hand painted beauty! But there was just no way I was going to seriously consider such an extravagant splurge. I did, however, keep thinking about it and I guess I must have mentioned it a time or two, because Mike made a little trip back there without my ever suspecting and bought it for me to give to me on my next birthday. Isn't it pretty?

And then there is this pair of lovlies. They actually had been on my dressing table years before I ever sat at it. The table had actually been in my mother's bedroom when she was a young girl. And this pair of perfume bottles were hers. She sent them to me as a gift several years ago and I love them.

And here is a picture of that stopper. It also makes me think of the (original) Pollyanna movie. Remember Pollyanna and Jimmy and the prisms in the "mean old man's" house? :-)

And here is my latest addition! I found this sweet cut glass bottle at an outdoor antique faire I went to last weekend. I was purchasing some gorgeous antique lace from a lovely British woman and just before I turned to leave, I spotted this. She and I had been chatting quite a while and I felt like we were "kindred spirits", lol. She was delightful! Her darling grand daughter was there with her, too (seemed to be about 18 or so). They were both so sweet. And her accent was simply wonderful! Anyway, I went right to the bottle as it reminded me of the one of my grandmother's (although quite a bit smaller), and picked it up. She said it was one of her favorites and when I asked how much it was, she hesitated for a moment and then told me she could "let it go" at a price way below what I had been expecting. So... splurge I did!

And since it is a bit smaller than my others I think it actually fits in beautifully with them. I also have a collection of lots of tiny perfume bottles- the "sample" size. I wonder.... is there anything more feminine or lovelier than old perfume bottles?

9 comments:

Hello Sarah - these bottles are divine! I love to see the 'little somethings' that you love and love to share - life is full of these treasures and thank you for taking the time to share them with us! God bless you! {{{hugs}}}

Oh my goodness, Sarah, girl, these perfum bottle are amazing and the one you just bought last week is divine!!! I am such a sucker for crystal ;D. Thanks for sharing your awesome collection of bottles. Have a fabulous weekend my friend!! Hugs and blessings, Sabrina

Hi Sarah! I've just been perusing your blog again and have LOVED this post! My grandmother (we called her Grossmutter) was the MOST special person in my young life. Her touch has never left me, and I'll always remember her love for me. Your perfume memories are precious, and I thank you for sharing those beautiful bottles and that story with us. I also love your scrapbooking and cardmaking abilities! I'm a huge fan of Our Daily Bread stamps (have a wishlist going at their site!!), and really love how your cards turned out. Lovely blog!!Blessings, Doni

Such a sweet story about the bottles and memories. I think I could tell pretty much the same story of staying at my grandma's and carefully playing dress up with her things. Nice to reminisce, isn't it.

Sarah Bennett

Paper crafting has become my way to share the creativity inside my soul. It is my creative outlet, my diversion, and my escape from everyday craziness. After spending years as a Stampin' Up demonstrator, I learned how to share my love of crafting with others and encourage them to find their own creative outlets. Now, instead of working for a specific company, I am focusing my time on my own creations and designing my own art. I hope to inspire others with my work and am excited to see where this takes me!

I am a stay at home Mom who is married to the most wonderful husband I could ever imagine! We have 4 amazing children, a terrific son-in-law, and two very special (and spoiled) dogs. View my complete profile here.